This invention relates to a cutting device particularly for resin sheets pulled from a supply reel The resin sheet is provided in its stored state at least on one face with a film which is removed prior to the cutting operation. The cutting device has a blade secured to mounting means operated by a pneumatic drive.
Resin sheets severed with a cutting device of the above-outlined type are often used as blanks for being deformed in molding presses. Before the resin sheets are introduced into the press, they are, as a rule, superposed in a plurality to form a stack to be received in the press.
Since known cutting devices which include a circulating chain drive have been found to have excessively low cutting speeds and therefore are not adapted to the requirements of a high-output manufacturing method, it has already been suggested to use a pneumatic drive for the cutter blade. Such pneumatic drives, however, have the disadvantage that despite a relatively large energy input the speed cannot be augmented to reach the required level. In order to achieve high speeds not only large-dimension valves and conduits for the pressure medium are necessary but complex arrangements have to be provided to brake the piston of the pneumatic cylinder for decelerating it from a high speed This means that not only complex and large damping devices have to be used, but after each cutting step a large amount of the inputted energy remains unutilized and is thus wasted.